The misguided apologists for persons who possess child pornography sometimes argue that there is no proven link between possession of child pornography and "hands-on" molestations. The following information and reports all involve studies or cases where molesters also possessed or produced child pornography. Is there a link? The research of Doctors Bourke and Hernandez is some of the most important of our era. According to the story below, "Many Internet child pornography offenders may be undetected child molesters."-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

July 19, 2007. By Julian Sher and Benedict Carey. From BlueRidgeNow.com

Experts have often wondered what proportion of men who download explicit sexual images of children also molest them. A new government study of convicted Internet offenders suggests that the number may be startlingly high: 85 percent of the offenders said they had committed acts of sexual abuse against minors, from inappropriate touching to rape.

The study, which has not yet been published, is stirring a vehement debate among psychologists, law enforcement officers and prison officials, who cannot agree on how the findings should be presented or interpreted.

The research, carried out by psychologists at the Federal Bureau of Prisons, is the first in-depth survey of such online offenders’ sexual behavior done by prison therapists who were actively performing treatment. Its findings have circulated privately among experts, who say they could have enormous implications for public safety and law enforcement.

Traffic in online child pornography has exploded in recent years, and the new study, some experts say, should be made public as soon as possible, to identify men who claim to be “just looking at pictures” but could, in fact, be predators.

Yet others say that the results, while significant, risk tarring some men unfairly. The findings, based on offenders serving prison time who volunteered for the study, do not necessarily apply to the large and diverse group of adults who have at some point downloaded child pornography, and whose behavior is far too variable to be captured by a single survey.

Adding to the controversy, the prison bureau in April ordered the paper withdrawn from a peer-reviewed academic journal where it had been accepted for publication, apparently concerned that the results might be misinterpreted. A spokeswoman for the bureau said the agency was reviewing a study of child pornography offenders but declined to comment further.

Ernie Allen, who leads the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which is mandated to coordinate the nation’s efforts to combat child pornography, said he was surprised that the full study had not been released. “This is the kind of research the public needs to know about,” Mr. Allen said. Others agreed that the report should be published but were more cautious about the findings. “The results could have tremendous implications for community safety and for individual liberties,” said Dr. Fred Berlin, founder of the Johns Hopkins Sexual Disorders Clinic. “If people we thought were not dangerous are more so, then we need to know that and we should treat them that way. But if we’re wrong, then their liberties aren’t going to be fairly addressed.”

Everyone agrees that researchers need to learn more about online consumers of illegal child images. The volume of material seized from computers appears to be doubling each year — the National Center collected more than eight million images of explicit child pornography in the last five years — and Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales made child protection a national priority in 2006.

Those who are arrested on charges of possession or distribution of child pornography generally receive lighter sentences and shorter parole periods than sexual abusers. They do not fit any criminal stereotype; recent arrests have included politicians, police officers, teachers and businessmen.

“It’s crucial to understand the sexual history of all these offenders, because sometimes the crime they were arrested for is the tip of the iceberg, and does not reflect their real patterns and interests,” said Jill S. Levenson, an assistant professor of human services at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., and head of the ethics committee of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers.

Previous studies, based on surveys of criminal records, estimated that 30 percent to 40 percent of those arrested for possessing child pornography also had molested children.The psychologists who conducted the new study, Andres E. Hernandez and Michael L. Bourke, focused on 155 male inmates who had volunteered to be treated at the Federal Correctional Institution in Butner, N.C., according to a draft of the paper obtained by The New York Times from outside experts who want the study published.

The Butner clinic is the only residential program devoted to the treatment of sexual offenders in the federal prison system. The inmates in the study were all serving sentences for possession or distribution of child pornography.

About every six months as part of an 18-month treatment program, they filled out a record of their sexual history, including a “victims list” tallying their previous victims of abuse. Therapists encouraged the men to be honest as part of their treatment, and the sexual histories were anonymous, according to the paper.

The psychologists compared these confessions with the men’s criminal sexual histories at the time of sentencing. More than 85 percent admitted to abusing at least one child, they found, compared with 26 percent who were known to have committed any “hands on” offenses at sentencing. The researchers also counted many more total victims: 1,777, a more than 20-fold increase from the 75 identified when the men were sentenced.

Dr. Hernandez and Dr. Bourke concluded in the paper that “many Internet child pornography offenders may be undetected child molesters.” But they also cautioned that offenders who volunteer for treatment may differ in their behavior from those who do not seek treatment.

They submitted the paper to The Journal of Family Violence, a widely read peer-reviewed publication in the field, and it was accepted.

But in a letter obtained by The Times, dated April 3, Judi Garrett, an official of the Bureau of Prisons, requested that the editors of the journal withdraw the study, because it did not meet “agency approval.”

Editors at The Journal of Family Violence did not respond to phone or e-mail messages asking about the withdrawal.

Dr. Hernandez mentioned the research briefly during testimony before a Senate committee last year. But the bureau blocked Dr. Hernandez and Dr. Bourke from attending some law enforcement conferences to speak about the findings, said two prosecutors who did not want to be identified because they have a continuing work relationship with the bureau.

“We believe it unwise to generalize from limited observations gained in treatment or in records review to the broader population of persons who engage in such behavior,” a bureau official wrote to the organizers of a recent law enforcement conference, in a letter dated May 2 and given to The Times by an expert who is hoping the study will be published.

Critics say they could use the study to argue for stiffer sentences. While some outside researchers agreed that the risk of over-generalizing the study’s results was real, almost all the experts interviewed also said that the study should still be made public.

Dr. Peter Collins, who leads the Forensic Psychiatry Unit of the Ontario Provincial Police, called the findings “cutting-edge stuff.”

“We’re really on the cusp of learning more about these individuals and studies should be encouraged, not quashed,” Dr. Collins said.

Understanding the relationship between looking at child pornography and sexually assaulting children is central to developing effective treatment, psychologists say.

It is not at all clear when, or in whom, the viewing spurs action or activates a latent, unconscious desire; or whether such images have little or no effect on the offender’s subsequent behavior. But the relationship probably varies widely.

“My concern is about sensationalism, about the way something like this is handled in the media,” said Michael Miner, an associate professor in the department of family medicine at the University of Minnesota who treats sex offenders. “The public perception is that all of these guys will re-offend, and we know that just isn’t true.”

At least some men convicted of sexual abuse say that child pornography from the Internet fueled their urges. In a recent interview, one convicted pedophile serving a 14-year sentence in a Canadian federal prison said that looking at images online certainly gave him no release from his desires — exactly the opposite.

“Because there is no way I can look at a picture of a child on a video screen and not get turned on by that and want to do something about it,” he said. “I knew that in my mind. I knew that in my heart. I didn’t want it to happen, but it was going to happen.”

How many offenders does he speak for? The study may help answer that question, some say.

“The penalties we seek, the vigor with which we prosecute — the very importance we give to child pornography cases — all of these things are affected by what we know about the offenders,” said Leura G. Canary, the United States attorney for Middle Alabama who also leads the Attorney General’s Working Group on Child Exploitation and Obscenity. “And right now we know very little.”

Retrieved July 19, 2007 from http://www.blueridgenow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070719/ZNYT04/707190371/1170/NEWS/ZNYT04/Debate_on_Child_Pornography_x2019_s_Link_to_Molesting&template=printart-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Between January and June 2004, Detectives of the Arizona Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC)Task Force conducted an investigation into a child pornography trafficker. The investigation stemmed from a series of complaints generated by the Internet Service Provider Yahoo and subsequently sent to the Arizona ICAC by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Detectives learned that the suspect posted hundreds of images of child pornography to the Internet. The offender was identified as David Lance Parent, age 47, a resident of Phoenix, Arizona. On July 8th, 2004 the Arizona ICAC served a search warrant at Mr. Parent’s residence. The investigation confirmed that he possessed images of child pornography. Subsequent investigation revealed that David Parent had sexual contact with a minor.

Mr. Parent waived his right to trial and plead guilty to two counts of Sexual Conduct with a Minor.On February 3rd , 2004, Mr. Parent was sentenced to 27 years in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release and registration as a sex offender.

San Antonio - A mother is accused of sending nude photos of her 13-year-old daughter to a man who is charged with raping the girl. The pair were arrested after the mother called police Saturday and held Erik Hull, 35, at knifepoint until officers arrived. Hull, of the Houston suburb of Pasadena, was charged with aggravated sexual assault on a child. He was being held on $500,000 bail. The 28-year-old mother, whose name was not released to shield her daughter's identity, was charged with promoting child pornography. Her bail was also set at $500,000.

The mother told police she sent Hull the nude photos so he could sell them. Hull was visiting Saturday when the girl called her grandmother saying Hull had raped her, a police report said. Hull said he did not remember what happened, that he woke up with the girl on top of him, the report said. Child Protective Services is investigating, and the girl is in the care of relatives, spokeswoman Mary Walker said.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vermont: Teens find bones, photos in child porn case

Apr 23, 2005, By Brendan McKenna, Herald StaffBellows Falls, Vermont

Two teenagers finding bones, a stench and pictures while exploring an abandoned mill led to the arrest of a Bellows Falls village trustee on child pornography charges Thursday. According to police documents, the two Bellows Falls Union High School students first told their school resource officer that they had found "old bones, pictures of dead bodies and pornography books" in a rundown old mill. The students turned over two photo albums and an album of printed articles and drawings to police April 15.

"I met with student … who advised she had three binders of pictures of torture and child pornography," Officer Michael Chesanek of the Bellows Falls police wrote in an affidavit. "(She) produced the binders and advised a bone, possibly human, was also found at the mill." The student took Chesanek to the mill, known locally as the Turner Building, where he also found boxes of material, according to an affidavit filed by Sgt. William Hoyt of the Bellows Falls police. "As Officer Chesanek's reason for entering the building was to ensure that there was no deceased human remains inside, he did not search the boxes," Hoyt wrote. "He conducted a brief sweep for any humans, either in danger or deceased, then left the building."

Hoyt later spoke with both students, one of whom described "a stench permeating the building that, to him, smelled of rotten or decaying flesh," according to documents. "(He) also described the bone as appearing to be an arm, consisting of an elbow and forearm, with a clean cut just above the lower joint, as if cut with a sharp object," Hoyt wrote. Based on those two accounts, both of which included reports of mail addressed to Stewart Read, a village trustee, Hoyt applied for and received a search warrant for the building that day.

Hoyt was looking for "documents, photographs, pictures, drawings, articles and any other written or pictorial material" showing child pornography, clues to the possible proprietors and "evidence of human remains," according to court documents. Police then searched Read's home, seizing DVDs, zip disks and a computer, according to an inventory list.

Bellows Falls Police Chief Keith Clark said Friday that the Vermont State Police assisted in the searches, in part to have a witness to their actions while investigating one of their municipal officials. "We did our job. We investigated the case, determined a crime had been committed, discussed it with the state's attorney and issued the citation," Clark said. "We brought the State Police in to assist and to be essentially another set of eyes to look at what we had … and make sure we covered all of our bases properly."

Clark said that Read arrived at the scene as they were searching the mill, known locally as the Turner Building, according to police documents, and Read was present for the search of his home. "We believe now that the bones were animal bones," Clark said. "And we found a trashcan that had dead rats, rotting rats, in it. That was the source of the smell."

Clark said that Read was processed without incident, cited to appear in court May 17, and released on conditions, including that he have no contact with children under age 16 unless he is in the presence of someone over the age of 25 who is aware of the charges pending against him.

Windham County State's Attorney Dan Davis said there was nothing irregular about a municipal police department citing town officers. He added that he was aware of similar occurrences in several municipalities around the state. "I certainly don't see that as a problem," he said. Davis declined to comment further on the case.

Shane O'Keefe, municipal manager for Bellows Falls and the town of Rockingham, said he could not comment on the specifics of a police matter. "We do have a good legal system and he is innocent until proven guilty," O'Keefe said Friday. The computer seized from Read's house will be investigated by experts at the state crime lab, Clark said. He added that examining the computer takes specialized software, training and equipment that his department does not have. He added that the U.S. Postal Inspectors Service, "the federal agents that have the most experience dealing with child pornography and evidentiary issues regarding child pornography," were also assisting with the case.

Read and his fellow members of the Bellows Falls Board of Trustees could not be reached for comment Friday. On May 17, the day Read is scheduled to appear in court, he will also face a challenge at the polls. Read and Roger Riccio, incumbents, are being challenged by Joseph Golec Jr. and Luise Light. Neither Golec nor Light could be reached for comment Friday.

A 37-year-old Boise soccer coach has been arrested on charges of possessing child pornography and on suspicion he may have molested dozens of teenage boys since the early '90s. During a news conference this afternoon, Ada County Sheriff Gary Raney asked parents to contact his department if their child might have been molested by Mic ("Mike") Bauer.

Bauer coached for the Boise Capitol Soccer Club, Borah High School and Capitol High School. He also works as an accountant for the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections in Meridian, where officials reported suspicious computer activity and asked sheriff's officers to investigate. Raney said Bauer told investigators he had a number of inappropriate relationships with juveniles during the past several years.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pensylvania: Man confesses to sending daughter's nude image over Web

By Torsten Ove, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 13, 2005

A Shaler man who confessed to using a Web camera to send real time pornographic images of his 4-year-old daughter over the Internet pleaded guilty yesterday to receipt of child pornography and was sentenced to 71 months in prison. Senior U.S. District Judge Alan Bloch also ordered the 35-year-old man to spend the rest of his life on probation. The suspect is not being identified because the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette does not name accusers or victims in sex abuse cases, and to name him would identify the child.

Federal agents arrested the man last year, after which he confessed to plying his daughter with Hershey's Kisses before transmitting nude images of her online. Agents found the Web camera under a computer in a common room where the girl played and where his infant son lay in a playpen. The case developed from an investigation of another man, Wyndell Williams of West Mifflin, who was in turn being prosecuted on child porn charges stemming from an investigation of a Reading-area woman accused of selling her toddler for sex.

The Shaler man's plea yesterday actually had nothing to do with his own daughter, despite his confession and an extensive Internet chat in which he and Williams discussed pornographic images of the girl that the Shaler man says were being taken in real time with a Web camera. During that chat, Williams also asked the Shaler man how young he likes girls. "10,14," he answered. "Wish mine was that age now." He also said he had molested a 13-year-old girl from Bellevue four times.

The two discussed the Shaler man's little girl, according to a transcript, and he then offered her to Williams for sex. Agents were able to retrieve the chat, but the man did not download the Web cam images to his hard drive. Without the pictures, prosecutors could not pursue him for a more serious charge, such as exploitation of a minor. A search of his computer did turn up other child porn pictures, however, which are the basis for the charge to which he pleaded. Williams, meanwhile, is serving nearly seven years in prison. A former sportswriter, he pleaded guilty in Pittsburgh to possession of porn and also in federal court in Williamsport to charges of lying during a hearing for Angela McCullen, 35, who was charged with using her child in sexually explicit images displayed on the Internet. She has pleaded guilty, too, and is facing at least 15years in prison.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Florida: Girl in Disney Abuse Photos Found Safe

Orlando, Florida (AP) May 13, 2005— A young girl who appeared in a series of sexually explicit pictures taken at a Walt Disney World hotel and other locations has been found and is now safe, authorities said Friday. After the pictures were taken, the girl was adopted by a Pittsburgh-area woman, although federal authorities in that city wouldn't say where the girl lives now. The girl was located after officials found a match Thursday in one of several law enforcement databases of child pornography, state and federal officials said. The officials variously gave her age as 11 or 12.

The youngster had been placed in foster care in 2003 when a man who previously adopted her — the man believed to have taken the pictures — was arrested on charges related to trading child porn on the Internet, said Matt Irwin, a detective with the Orange County Sheriff's Office. The man began serving a federal prison sentence last year. The suspect adopted the Russian-born girl when she was 5, Irwin said.

The child has appeared in about 200 explicit photos that have circulated on the Internet for at least three years. Earlier this year, police in Toronto released some of the photos — with the girl digitally removed — in hopes that it would help them find and possibly rescue the girl. U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan of Pittsburgh confirmed Friday that the girl's former adoptive father is a 46-year-old former resident of Plum Borough, a suburb about 15 miles east of that city. Last year, he was sentenced to 15 years, 8 months in prison for coercing the girl to appear in pornographic photos found on a computer diskette in his house. Buchanan said the man also was sentenced to fund a $200,000 trust for the girl under the Protect Act, a 2003 law that strengthened sentencing guidelines in cases involving the exploitation of children.

Buchanan said federal authorities in Pittsburgh weren't aware of the Disney World pictures when they prosecuted the girl's father, but said authorities in Florida could prosecute the man if they had evidence that he took the photos. Buchanan said Allegheny County (Pa.) District Attorney Stephen J. Zappala Jr. asked her for the evidence in the case because he was considering filing charges last year, and she said she forwarded the evidence to Zappala. A spokesman for Zappala's office, contacted after hours Friday, said he did not know the status of the case. The suspect's attorney, Stanley Greenfield of Pittsburgh, said Friday that no state charges have been filed. Irwin said authorities were uncertain if they would file any molestation charges against the suspect in Orlando. "Time is on our side at this point," he said. "The bad guy is locked up. The victim is safe."

Some of the photos released by Toronto police showed what appeared to be a hotel room, and tips suggested the room was at the Port Orleans Resort at Disney World. Last month, authorities in Orlando released images of a second girl, who they didn't believe was being molested but who had appeared in photos that shared the same background. That girl was the victim's neighbor and friend, Irwin said. "All of the investigators are really happy she is safe," said Jamie Zuieback, spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Customs, the FBI, the Orange County sheriff's office and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children were involved in the search.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nebraska: State Patrol Internet Crimes Unit Arrests Grand Island Man

On April 28, 2005, the Nebraska State Patrol Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit arrested a Grand Island man on charges of Felony Child Abuse and Manufacturing Child Pornography. Thirty-eight year old Kenneth Schaff Jr. of was taken into custody at his residence. He was lodged in the Hall County Jail.

The investigation began when pornographic images of a young girl were discovered in an e-mail that was traced to Shaff. A search warrant served at Schaff's home in Grand Island resulting in the seizure of two computers, camera equipment, DVD's and VHS tapes.

One of the pornographic images of the young girl also included the girls mother in the background. After Shaff's arrest, the victim and her five year old sister were placed in state custody. Additional charges against the children's mother are anticipated.

A Marathon County judge sentenced a 33-year-old Schofield man to seven years in prison Friday for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl who baby-sat for his son and videotaping the crime.

The man, James J. Rose, also was sentenced to eight years of supervision by correction agents after his release from prison. He was charged with second-degree sexual assault of a child in October 2002. His time in prison can be extended if he violates any conditions of his supervision, which include no unsupervised contact with children except his own. For the rest of his life, Rose must register as a sex offender.

Rose, who was free during most of the time the case was pending after posting a $15,000 cash bond in January 2003, was handcuffed and taken into custody immediately after Friday's hearing in front of Circuit Court Judge Patrick Brady. A prison sentence is necessary in this case to protect the public, Brady said after taking a short recess to think about the case after hearing arguments from attorneys. A sentence of probation without prison would lessen the gravity of the crime, he said.

Marathon County Assistant District Attorney Patricia Cal Baker asked Brady for an eight-year prison sentence followed by 15 years of extended supervision, saying that it is clear Rose cannot control his deviant sexual behavior. Police confiscated volumes of pornography featuring young girls from the man's home after his arrest. Rose also has blamed the girl for the incident, she said.

The girl said in a letter read Friday in court that the sexual assaults went on for six months, and that she was afraid to tell anyone what was happening. The sexual assault sent the girl on a spree of troubled behavior, and she now is in a juvenile prison, Cal Baker said. The girl's mother said in court that Rose took advantage of her trust and asked Brady to give him the maximum sentence. For the charge he faced, that was 20 years in prison and 10 years of extended supervision.

To craft a sentence, Brady also had to consider Rose's behavior since he posted bond and was released from jail. When that happened, Rose immediately signed up for counseling and stopped drinking alcohol, said his attorney, Jim Connell. He has become active in Alcoholics Anonymous and a church and has abided by the conditions of his bond, Connell said.

"He blames no one but himself," Connell said in arguing for probation. "He'll never be in another courtroom again. "Rose also has a supportive group of family and friends, Connell said. Several of Rose's supporters, including his wife, who he married after his arrest, were in the courtroom for Friday's hearing. Rose said he is an alcohol and sex addict.

"I'm very sorry I allowed this to happen," Rose said in court. "Please find it in your heart to give me another chance. "A second man also faced charges, including second-degree sexual assault, stemming from the investigation. The case against 27-year-old Adam E. Davis, who prosecutors say showed the video of Rose and the girl having sex to another girl, still is pending.

The girls told police that they drank soda given to them by the men just before the assaults. One of the girls said the soda tasted like alcohol.

By David Irvin: CNJ staff writer, David_Irvin@link.freedom.com, May 1, 2006

A Clovis man on Wednesday was sentenced to 33 years in prison for sex acts committed against an 8-year-old girl. Prosecutors allege Derrick Vincent Ervin, 27, married the girl's mother so that he could have opportunity to molest the child. A jury in January found Ervin guilty of 31 counts of various sex crimes. He faced a maximum sentence of 168 years in prison.

Prosecutors and family members of the victim argued on Wednesday to put Ervin away for the “rest of his natural life.” Addressing the judge, the victim's grandmother said, “This is your opportunity to help show a little girl that we value her innocence, to help her to feel free and safe from the ‘flesh and blood’ monsters.” However, Judge Teddy Hartley said the crimes committed didn’t warrant that harsh a sentence. “I don’t believe the crime is serious enough for the rest of his natural life, (but) it is serious enough” for a sentence of many years, Hartley said. Ervin received 18 years for the criminal sexual penetration of a minor charge, a first-degree felony, and 15 years for five counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor.

Sentences for the rest of the charges will run concurrently and will not affect the total number of years he will spend in prison. District Attorney Matt Chandler said Ervin must serve 85 percent of his sentence (about 28 years) before he will be eligible for parole.

Prosecutors say Ervin met his wife via the Internet while serving in the U.S. Navy in Japan. He returned to town in 2002 and married the woman, who had a young daughter. Prosecutors contend he married the woman just to get to the daughter. According to a press release from the district attorney, in December of 2003 Clovis police received a call from the defendant’s wife, indicating she had located numerous photos of her daughter on Ervin's computer. Detectives recovered compact discs containing videos of child pornography and other child pornography, the release said.

The victim revealed that Ervin had sexually assaulted her on numerous occasions, the release said. However, Ervin’s family contested those facts. “To me, it’s an injustice completely,” said David Ervin, father of the convicted man. He said his son never molested the young girl. In court Wednesday, family members and friends spoke about Derrick Ervin as a “very compassionate person,” and an “outstanding member of the Navy,” adding that he received two commendations while serving.

“(The sentence) rips us up,” David Ervin said. “That’s my baby.” Additionally, they said the young girl never mentioned anything about being molested for a year after the crimes were alleged, evidence they said was withheld from the trial. But grandparents of the victim said that proves nothing. “That’s the normal reaction for a child (not to talk about it),” said the victim's grandmother.

Prosecutors alluded to evidence and testimony presented during the January trial they say proves Derrick Ervin’s guilt. Deputy District Attorney Donna Mowrer said Ervin admitted he was addicted to child porn. “This is a classic case of a pedophile taking the most precious gift — an innocent, defenseless female child — and getting his thrills off her,” Chandler said before the court. “That’s disgusting. That’s sick.” Prosecutors said the crimes occurred over the course of about 18 months, and the victim was 9 when it ended. Family members of the victims say healing will be difficult. “It will never be over for the family and the child,” the grandmother said. “(My granddaughter) will always suffer.” Ervin will receive credit for about 500 days of presentence confinement for time spent in prison since his arrest.

Wisconsin: Sex charges go back years - Records show murder suspect had history of alleged abuse

By Steve Scott and Kevin Harter - Pioneer Press

Roman Catholic Church officials knew a decade ago of sexual-misconduct allegations against a then-seminarian now presumed to have fatally shot two men in a Hudson, Wisconsin funeral home, according to court records released this week. An investigative report by Hudson police outlined the key events in the Rev. Ryan Erickson's life but did not offer details about the abuse allegations, and he was not charged. But court records in testimony Monday before a St. Croix County judge indicated that Vilas County investigators in northern Wisconsin contacted officials at the Diocese of Superior in 1994 about Erickson, who was attending the seminary at St. Mary's University in Winona, Minn.

After an investigation of a sexual-misconduct allegation, which involved an incident at a summer resort frequented by Erickson as a young man, the county informed the diocese no charge would be filed. Bishop Raphael Fliss acknowledged that decision in a letter in July 1994. The court records do not indicate whether the diocese took any other action. Attempts to reach Fliss on Tuesday were unsuccessful. Court records also indicate that in August 1996, the Rev. Phillip Rask, then rector of the St. Paul Seminary where Erickson later enrolled in St. Paul, questioned the Superior diocese about a sexual misconduct allegation against Erickson. Rask could not be reached Tuesday evening.

Questions about Erickson's past were a central part of Monday's hearing before St. Croix County Judge Eric Lundell, held to air evidence gathered during an investigation of the February 2002 killings of funeral director Dan O'Connell, 39, and University of Minnesota mortuary science intern James Ellison, 22. At the end of the hearing, Lundell declared the evidence overwhelming that Erickson, then a priest at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Hudson, where O'Connell was a parishioner, was responsible for the killings.

In an interview Tuesday, O'Connell's survivors described him as a stand-up guy who was about to confront Erickson about suspicions that he had sexually abused children. Now the family says it wants church officials to stand up and account for events that preceded O'Connell's death. Officials of the Diocese of Superior, however, said Tuesday they never received a complaint of misconduct involving Erickson, only letters from "conservatives and liberals" at St. Patrick's indicating he may have been divisive among parishioners.

"We heard nothing in regard to this stuff,'' the Rev. Philip Heslin, chief administrator of the diocese, said in an interview. Under the clergy sex abuse policy passed by U.S. bishops in 2002, a credible accusation against a priest today would result in his removal from ministry. "What does that mean? That this allegation wasn't substantiated,'' Heslin said.

But the investigative report presented Monday indicated Erickson later had sexual contact with at least one boy in Hudson, provided others with alcohol and downloaded pornography, much of it involving boys. Erickson underwent several psychological examinations while at the seminary and as a priest, and results were shared with seminary and church officials, according to investigators. There were no details available about who ordered the exams or what they found.

"I understand in general, (the therapists) concluded there was nothing seriously wrong that would impede his ability to be a priest,'' Heslin said. O'Connell's survivors say they want to know why years of warning signs didn't bar or remove Erickson from the priesthood . Erickson, ordained in 2000, was assigned that year to St. Patrick's. He left the Hudson parish for Ladysmith, Wis., in 2003 and was reassigned to Hurley, Wis., in 2004. Shortly after investigators began questioning him in the funeral home murders, Erickson hanged himself outside his Hurley church last December. He was 31.

"This man committed criminal acts ending in homicide and suicide," said O'Connell's older brother, Tom O'Connell Jr., 52, of Madison, Wis. "Could this have been prevented?" The Hudson murders occurred one month after allegations of clergy sexual abuse surfaced in Boston. The scandal would sweep through the church amid an outcry that offending priests had routinely been reassigned from one parish to another after allegations surfaced.

Superior diocese officials reiterated Tuesday that Erickson's assignments — his first two as an associate, his last as pastor — were routine. It is customary for a priest to leave after three years in his first parish, Heslin said, and after a year in Ladysmith, the need for a pastor arose in Hurley. "He had been in the diocese long enough to take his own parish,'' Heslin said. "It had nothing to do with all these other things.''

The court records indicated, however, that the Rev. John Anderson, pastor at the Ladysmith parish, expressed concerns to Fliss about Erickson's alcohol consumption and asked that his associate be transferred. In nearly a year since Erickson became a suspect in the murders, the O'Connells said they have waited for the church and the diocese to reach out.

They praised the Rev. John Parr, who has taken over at St. Patrick's, for doing so. They said they have not heard from the priests who lived and worked with Erickson, nor has anyone affiliated with the diocese called to offer condolences. Tom O'Connell Jr. said the family isn't planning litigation, but wants answers. "What are the rules? What are the policies? Are they being followed, enforced?" he asked. The Diocese of Superior has had a Morals and Ethics Policy in place since 1988, Heslin said. The current version outlines a sexual misconduct policy and stipulates procedures when complaints are made, including reporting to civil authorities. "Everything is in place on this,'' Heslin said. "If we heard of any sexual misconduct by a priest, we'd zero in on it immediately. That's my job.''

The most recent audit overseen by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops found the Diocese of Superior to be in compliance with the bishops' 2002 charter to protect children, although the audit covered only the period between October 2003 and October 2004. O'Connell's survivors were struggling to find a thin ray of hope in his death. "Dan's one final act of compassion may have prevented another molestation,'' Tom O'Connell Jr. said.

In a statement released Tuesday, Fliss said he was "shocked and greatly saddened" at Monday's court ruling. He said he had believed Erickson's statements that he was not responsible for the murders. "As bishop,'' said Fliss, "I recognize and acknowledge the shame this decision brings upon the church. In the name of the clergy, religious and faithful of the Diocese of Superior, I express the embarrassment and sadness that all of us rightly feel.''

But Fliss said he had no reason to doubt a statement made by Erickson to Heslin two days before the priest committed suicide, in which Erickson reportedly said, "I have peace of mind because I know I had nothing to do with those murders in Hudson. God knows I'm telling the truth.'' Fliss said he had instructed Erickson to cooperate with authorities investigating the killings, and that the diocese provided all information the district attorney requested.

Posted on Wed, Oct. 05, 2005Steve Scott can be reached at sscott@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-5526.Kevin Harter can be reached at kharter@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-2149-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

North Carolina: Man sentenced for abusing six children

April 28, 2005

Graham, N.C. (AP) - A Graham man who pleaded guilty to dozens of sexual offense charges involving six victims said in court that he loved the children and didn't cause them any pain.

In a statement to the court, Wesley Tate Pickard said he was "deeply sorry" for his actions, but contended he "did nothing to cause (the victims) any type of pain or (did) nothing to hurt them." Pickard, 43, said the children performed sexual acts with each other and with him on their own and that he did not drug any of the children, a claim that prosecutors made.

"Children do things in front of me because of trust," Pickard said. Pickard told Judge Leon Stanback Jr. that he pleaded guilty so that the child victims "didn't have to be published anymore" and so that members of the jury wouldn't be "tainted" by videos allegedly showing Pickard performing sex acts with the children.

Stanback sentenced Pickard to a minimum of 144 years in prison - 24 years for each of the six victims. If convicted by a jury, Pickard faced a maximum of 929 years in prison, as well as 12 potential life sentences. Parents of the victims wept openly and were visibly shaken during Pickard's statement. One mother stormed out of the courtroom when Pickard said that one victim "wanted to do these things."

At the end of his statement, Pickard turned and told one mother "to tell (the victims) that I love them." "These were my only friends and now I have none," Pickard told the court. "My love turned to lust and I am sorry for it."

According to court documents, Pickard befriended one of the victim's mothers, who then introduced other parents and children to Pickard. He would take the children on trips to the zoo or the mountains and videotape those trips. Boone said Pickard would show the videos to parents, who put more trust into Pickard and allowed their children to visit him and stay overnight. Last August, one of the victims told a parent about Pickard inappropriately touching the children and Graham police investigated the accusations.

Police got a search warrant and found dozens of photos and videos depicting Pickard and the children - ages 3 to 8 - engaged in sex acts.

For the past several months, investigators of the Arizona ICAC Task Force have been deluged with a heartbreaking flood of Internet child pornography complaints involving thousands of gruesome images of helpless children being unimaginably exploited.

In each of these cases, the unlawful image trafficking is facilitated through the use of the Internet service provider - Yahoo. Pornographers use free Yahoo services for clandestine transfer and storage of contraband child pornography. Preferential sex offenders throughout the world make unrestrained use of Yahoo for this nefarious purpose.

In April 2004, Yahoo reported a child pornography trafficker to the National Center for Missing Exploited Children (NCMEC investigation number 203894) Researchers there traced the source to an unknown location in Kingman, Arizona and promptly reported the case to the Arizona ICAC Task Force.

AZ ICAC/Phoenix P.D. detectives investigated and forwarded the case to the Mohave County Arizona Sheriffs Department. Detectives of Mohave County conducted an exhaustive investigation and identified the suspect, Ryan Hugh Caskey, a 33 year old auto parts manager. Det. Matthews' excellent work also uncovered a ten year old minor child who had been molested by Caskey over a two-year period.

Judge Moon of Mohave County sentenced Caskey to 14 years prison for the child molestation charges and six years prison for the sexual exploitation of a minor (child pornography) charges.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MADRID, Spain (AP) -- Police broke up a pedophile ring suspected of abusing children as young as 11 months and distributing images of the abuse on the Internet, officials said Thursday. Five men, two of them computer specialists, were arrested for abducting, raping and abusing children and filming indecent acts, a police official said on condition of anonymity.

All five men lived in Spain, he said. One of the suspects had worked as a baby sitter to get close to children, the official said. The abuse seen in the video and photos was allegedly committed by one man, the official said. The other suspects are accused of either filming the abuse or distributing the footage over the Internet, the official said. Some of the videos and images of the sexual abuse were allegedly distributed online by a closed system known as Internet Relay Chat - IRC - which requires participants to log in using passwords, the official said. All the babies and children allegedly abused were male, he said.

Pedro Nunez Morgades, children's rights ombudsman for the Madrid regional government, said the images showed a "worrying trend" in modern communications networks. The suspects were arrested in the Spanish cities of Madrid, Murcia, Lerida and Valencia.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sweden: Online sex con lures 100 girlsApril 22, 2005

A Swedish man is in custody suspected of sexually exploiting as many as 100 young girls he found online.

Stockholm - Swedish police said Friday they had detained a 30-year-old man suspected of sexually exploiting as many as 100 young girls, and in some cases raping them, after approaching them on the Internet. The man persuaded the girls, many as young as 13 and 14, to pose naked in front of a camera and in some cases to have intercourse with him.

"We have identified 20-odd girls but the number is probably going to exceed 100," the prosecutor leading the investigation, Ulrika Rogland, told Swedish news agency TT. Police in the southern city of Malmoe said the man, whose name was not disclosed, made contact with the girls on chat sites popular among youths, including Lunarstorm, which, with 1.3 million young members, is the Scandinavian country's largest chat room.

The suspect is believed to have asked girls to pose naked or in their underwear in front of a web camera. He then allegedly downloaded the images to a computer. Investigators said they found at least 15 000 pictures and 150 films on his computer. Several girls have also come forward and said they had sex with him. Police began investigating the man after a 16-year-old girl pressed rape charges against him late last year. He has been held in custody since mid-March.

Source: News24.comRetrieved April 27 from http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_1694547,00.html-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wisconsin: Ex-coach gets 20 years for sexual assault

By David Doege, ddoege@journalsentinel.com, April 22, 2005

Waukesha WI - A former youth football coach who avoided prosecution for sexual assault in 1997 because a developmentally disabled victim's account could not be corroborated was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison for repeatedly sexually assaulting a different boy and sharing child pornography with three others.

Authorities did not get the corroboration they needed to prosecute David C. Kanouse until last year when a man convicted in a Beaver Dam child pornography ring became an informant and said Kanouse admitted sexually assaulting the boy in 1997. The investigation that ensued linked Kanouse to that assault and his involvement with the four other boys and prompted the prison term.

"He gave us the information that set this all rolling," Waukesha County Assistant District Attorney Brad Schimel said. "I've known you for five years, and I never thought that something like this could happen," one of the boy's mothers told Kanouse. "I can't find the right words," Kanouse said in a tearful, rambling apology. "I always just wanted to be a normal guy. "But I can't and I don't know why. . . . Sorry just doesn't cover it. I don't know what does."

Kanouse, 31, of Dousman, also was sentenced by Waukesha County Circuit Judge Donald Hassin Jr., to 20 years of extended supervision after prison. Hassin said a long prison term and community supervision was needed to put a stop to Kanouse's "predatory behavior" and give him "some better understanding as to why you do these things."

"There is a part of you that is out of control," Hassin said. "You prey on little boys. ”You are someone who did these things full knowing the consequences and disregarding the children."

Kanouse pleaded guilty earlier this year to charges arising out of three cases: one count of repeated first-degree sexual assault of the same child; three counts of distributing harmful materials; and one count of possession of child pornography. A fourth case involving a charge of second-degree sexual assault for the 1997 case was dismissed but made a part of the official record so Hassin could consider it at sentencing.

Schimel started building cases against Kanouse last summer after a convicted child molester told investigators that while he and Kanouse worked at the Olympia Resort & Spa in Oconomowoc the two men viewed child pornography together. Robert J. Hornyak said Kanouse revealed then that he had had sex with a teenager seven years ago, according to court records.

Kanouse was a coach in the Waukesha Youth Football League when Hornyak went to authorities and gave them information to provide a basis for a search warrant of Kanouse's apartment. The child pornography charges followed and eventually Schimel was able to build sexual assault cases against Kanouse for the 1997 incident and Kanouse's sexual assault of another boy an estimated 150 to 200 times over the past decade.

Hornyak later was sentenced to 23 years in prison followed by 13 years of extended supervision. Schimel said Friday that Kanouse "offered various kinds of incentives" to the boys, including dinners and swimming parties, and relied on the fact that they would not reveal what was going on to avoid being stigmatized. Of the 1997 victim, Schimel said, "He walked away thinking nobody believed him, and he had to bear that all these years. He had great difficulty doing that." "Mr. Kanouse took a long time to come out with all of the information, all of the issues that he had," defense attorney Bridget Boyle said. "Now he has no more secrets."

David Alan Westerfield kidnapped and killed seven year old Danielle van Dam in February 2002. The investigation revealed that Westerfield possessed a large collection of child pornography.

Read the details of the investigation at the courttv.com web site: http://www.courttv.com/trials/westerfield/background_ctv.html-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------